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If you participated in ValueClick, Commission Junction, or Be Free affiliate networks as an affiliate marketing publisher or affiliate advertiser between April 20, 2003, and July 22, 2008, you may be entitled to a settlement claim from a class action lawsuit.

The lawsuit contends that the affiliate networks failed to adequately monitor or prevent third parties from engaging in the theft of commissions from advertisers and publishers, and that they failed to make sufficient disclosures regarding the existence of non-compliant software and commission theft.

Basically, thieves were using malicious software to hijack sales and steal commissions, resulting in losses to both advertisers and publishers.

The public court hearing for the approval of the proposed settlement claim is scheduled for January 5, 2009.

The proposed settlement requires the defendants to pay $1,000,000 into a common fund. After lawyer fees and other costs are deducted, the remaining balance of the common fund will be allocated 70% to a publisher fund and 30% to an advertiser fund.

Publishers and advertisers will then receive a percentage of their relative fund that is based on the percentage of commissions they either paid out or received between April 20, 2003, and July 22, 2008.

For instance, if you as a publisher earned 1% of the total commissions paid on the Commission Junction network during that period, you will receive approximately 1% of the publisher fund.

If you wish to accept the terms of the proposed settlement claim and participate in the settlement reward, then you should do nothing, as you will automatically be included in the settlement claim if you do nothing. However, if you wish to hire separate counsel, object to the settlement, or exclude yourself from the settlement, then additional actions are necessary.

If the settlement is approved, you will either receive your percentage of the claim as a commission credit through your current affiliate account or you will receive a check if you no longer have an affiliate network account.

Visit cjsettlement.com for more information and details on this affiliate marketing network class action lawsuit, the proposed settlement claim, and any other details you may need if you wish to take additional actions.